


shall we dance?

by RoyalHeather



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen, RvB Fluff Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 19:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11259522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyalHeather/pseuds/RoyalHeather
Summary: Fluff Prompt: Carolina doesn't ask for two AIs, and thus South gets the Happiness/Joy AI (I don't know if we know which that is of Eta and Iota :"u)





	shall we dance?

South hated dance classes as a child. Ballet, especially, was infuriating – she wasn’t allowed to run and shout and jump but had to stand at the barre with everyone else, back straight, chin up, arm just _so._ Every class more rigid and structured than the last, until Quetlyn called her “sausage-legs” and South punched her in the face. And, well, that was the end of ballet classes.

(“Good job,” North had whispered to her afterwards, so serious already at ten years old. Their parents had felt differently.)

North was lucky; North got to play hockey. Or rather, North got to _compete._ By high school South was spending as much time on the rink as he was, if not more, but way out in the sticks where they lived there the school only had a boys’ team. But then they got the _totally awesome idea_ that North, who was kind of done with hockey anyway, should just switch places with South. She got away with playing two games before the head of the division found out, flipped his lid, and banned both North and South from ever playing again.

So. That was that.

But to South, _that_ had felt like dancing – gliding at breakneck speeds, swiveling, dodging, accompanied by the roar of the audience and the rush of her skates over the ice. Even now, with jetpacks and rocket launchers and spaceships at her disposal, she misses it.

\--

She feels soft and heavy with the remnants of anesthetic. South blinks fuzzily, trying to figure out consciousness, and almost immediately is greeted by North saying, “Hey. How’re you feeling?”

Words are hard, so South just grumbles and flips him off. He chuckles, sitting next to her with a holoreader in hand. “That’s my girl.”

They put an AI in her, didn’t they. South concentrates, looking for it, and – oh. There’s a spot of warmth at the back of her head, as bright and warm as molten silver, so bright she wonders how she didn’t notice it before.

 _Hello,_ says the AI, and a thrill runs through South down to the tips of her toes. _You are awake._

The AI’s voice quivers, as if it is only barely holding back some ineffable emotion. South, who had expected it to be every bit as mechanical and annoying as Delta, is taken aback. _Um,_ she says cautiously. _Hi._

 _Hello, Rebecca!_ sings the AI. _I am Iota._

South cracks an eye open, realizes North is watching her intently. “What?”

He frowns slightly, putting aside his holoreader. “Is he there? The AI?”

“Yeah.”

North’s frown deepens. “Everything all right?”

“I dunno, dude, give me five seconds to actually talk to it.” The grogginess is rapidly wearing off; she feels _alive,_ full of a strange new energy. _Hey, you still there?_

_Of course! Where else would I go?_

“So…” Cautiously, South sits up, ignoring the hand North puts out to help her. Her head hurts a little, and the back of her neck, but other than that she feels fine. “So now what?”

North shrugs, one leg jiggling nervously. “They’ll probably want to look you over, run some tests –”

“Well, fuck that,” says South, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Nice thing about zero-G surgery, she’s already in her armor and ready to go. “C’mon, let’s go.”

North protests but she’s already on her feet, heading to the exit. She feels a bit lightheaded, but there’s so much energy in her bones she’s not sure she can stay still. Iota is fascinated, taking in every detail of their surroundings. _I have never been outside before,_ it says, voice reverberating slightly.

 _Well, uh, you’re in for a ride, pal._ It occurs to South she doesn’t know Iota’s gender, or if it even has one; Delta goes by “he,” she knows, but that might just be because of. You know. York. _Hey, are you a boy, or a girl, or…_

Iota laughs, a trilling peal that makes South catch her breath. _Oh, I don’t need to bother with any of that!_

South finds herself grinning, though she doesn’t know why. _Fair enough._

The energy singing in her blood demands only one place, and South heads straight for the training room. North comes charging after her, frantic nurse in tow. “South,” he pants, “you can’t just run off, we need to – make sure –”

“Oh, come on, North!” she says, turning and walking backwards. “I feel _fine!_ ”

 _Let’s go,_ Iota is whispering, _let’s go, let’s go, let’s go –_

Turning back around, South breaks into a run.

It feels like it’s faster than she’s ever run before, faster than Carolina and her damn speed unit, like she’s skimming over the ground. South grins deliriously and charges towards the training arena, hoping there’s someone there. There’s _always_ someone there –

There is, Wyoming and New Mexico, armored up and sparring with electric staffs. _Yes!_ cries Iota. Both men turn their heads towards South as she enters and grabs a staff from by the door.

“Why hello, South Dakota!” says Wyoming. “AI implantation go according to plan, then? You ready to test it out?”

South grins, twirling her staff. “Hell yeah, I am. What about you, old man?”

“Ohoho, my dear, you’re going to regret that –”

“Resetting rounds,” chimes F.I.L.S.S. “Round one, begin!”

And time slows down.

Iota comes to life inside her, spreading through her nerves, her veins, her muscles. South gasps, maybe only in her own mind, at the tingling wave of energy. The world around her is vibrant with color, the lights glowing off Wyoming and New Mexico’s armor, the staff in her own hands –

_– she’s on the ice, she’s flying, hockey stick in her hands, pure adrenaline flowing through her veins, all she can hear is her own heartbeat and the roar of the crowds –_

_– she’s fighting, hand to hand combat, rejoicing at the salty sting of sweat and the taste of blood in her mouth and the impact of her fists against her opponent’s muscles –_

_– she’s flying a hoverjet, high in the golden sky, dizzy with speed and lack of air and the light of the double suns that streams around her is blinding, bright enough to drown in –_

Her vision clears, her heart hammering as if she’s run a marathon. _Holy shit,_ breathes South. _Can you do that all the time?_

 _I can._ Iota thrums with exultation, bright as a diamond. _Shall we dance?_

Time returns, Wyoming and New Mexico taking their first bounds towards her. South tightens her hands on her staff, readies to attack. _We shall._


End file.
